Book 2 of: Whispers Of Desires.
In the kingdoms of Niameda, Althea, and Ivamis, trade ships are mysteriously vanishing without a trace. When Kazi, the General of Niameda, risks her life to save the King of Althea from an assassination attempt, he of...
As Kazi walked along the stream, her fists clenched and her shoulders tense, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. For once, she was truly alone. The weight of the kingdom's expectations seemed to lift from her shoulders, if only for a moment. Then she saw someone sitting on a nearby log, their back to her. It was Ren.
Kazi walked up to him. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly, taking a seat beside him.
Ren shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing much. Just needed some fresh air," he replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "What about you?"
"I am here to clear my head," Kazi replied, glancing down at her boots.
Ren nodded understandingly, "About the marriage proposal, huh?" he said, not meeting her gaze.
Kazi nodded. "Yes" she sighed, running a hand through her short braids. "It feels like everyone is forcing me to accept something I do not want."
Kazi sat beside Ren in silence for a while, her mind racing with the weight of her feelings. The wind rustled through the leaves above them, creating a soothing sound that seemed to drown out the chaos of her thoughts. "I just wish I could be free of it all," she said finally, looking up at the sky. "To just be able to live my life the way I want to, without anyone else's expectations weighing me down."
Ren placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it is okay," he reassured her. "You do not have to do anything you do not want to."
"But what if..." Kazi started. "What if this is my only chance to ever get married?" Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her lap, "As much as I do not want to get married...it was my mother's dying wish for all her daughters to be get married and be happy. I cannot ignore that."
Ren turned to her, his eyes softening with understanding. "Kazi, look at you," he said. "You are beautiful, strong-willed, and you fight for what is right. What man in his right senses would not fall for you?" He paused, searching for the right words. "And I am pretty sure your mother would want you to be happy, too. She would not want you to be with someone just because it is what she wished for you."
Kazi gave him a small smile. "You always know what to say," she murmured, her gaze meeting his.
Ren couldn't help but return her smile, his heart skipping a beat. "That is what friends are for," he replied warmly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
They sat together by the stream in comfortable silence, the gentle rush of water a soothing background to their thoughts. Ren couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to stay in this moment forever, by Kazi's side. But for now, he was content to simply be there for her, offering his support as a friend.
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The carriage jolted along the road to Ivamis, the dust rising in its wake. Kazi stared out the window, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts and emotions. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so angry, so frustrated. It was not fair, she thought. She had spent her life training, serving her kingdom, and now they expected her to abandon everything she had worked for because of some political alliance?
